The present invention relates to an information processing system, information processing process and a program product, and in particular to an information processing system, information processing process and a program product for guiding a predetermined operation by displaying the operation guide on a given display screen when the predetermined operation is conducted.
Portable telephone terminals which have voice as the primary function, are used as remote information processing terminals, as well as various functions. The functions are available by conducting presetting operations through actuation of operation buttons on the terminal.
However, the number of operation buttons which are mounted on the portable telephone terminal is very limited due to reduction in size and weight thereof. Recently when the portable telephone terminals have begun to play a role of personal information terminal, assignment and arrangement of the operation buttons has been considered for improving the ease of presetting operation to use these functions.
Since the number of the operation buttons can not be proportionally increased in association with the increase in additional functions, a limited number of operation buttons have to be shared for various features. Presetting operations have been sophisticated and complicated for users.
An approach to solve this problem is to display on a display screen a message (operation guidance) for guiding the user to operate the buttons. Such an operation guidance through message display is very effective for the users who do not understand how to operate the buttons, but is very tedious and distracting to the users who understand how to operate the features.
Accordingly, in order to cope with both users who do not understand how to operate and users who are accustomed to operation, the portable telephone terminal is provided with a function for presetting ON/OFF of the operation guidance display. This enables the users to preset the operation guidance display.
However, all users who are accustomed to operation do not understand how to conduct presetting for all functions. Some users understand some of them whereas other users do not understand how to preset all functions. Accordingly, some of the users may need the operation guidance display for some functions similarly to those who do not understand how to operate the features very well. Therefore, a set method in which presetting of ON/OFF of the guidance display conducted by the user such that the portable telephone terminal is not capable of displaying the operation guidance if needed, does not enhance the ease of operation.
The present invention was made to in view of such circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved information system and process, in which the necessity of the operation guidance display is automatically determined for each of the functions based upon the user""s operation performances to enable the operation guidance display when it is needed.
An information processing system according to a first embodiment is characterized in that the system comprises a display unit for displaying a presetting image on a screen for performing a predetermined presetting; operating means for conducting an operation for the operation corresponding to the image; presetting means for conducting presetting in response to the operation which is conducted by the operating means; a storing unit for storing information which is representative of whether or not an operation guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the image conducted by the operating means is to be displayed for each of the presetting images; first determining means for determining whether or not the operation conducted by the operating means is incorrect; calculating means for calculating the rate at which the operation conducted by the operating means is incorrect based upon a result of the determination made by the first determining means; second determining means for determining whether or not the operating guidance is to be displayed based upon the rate which is calculated by the calculating means; updating means for updating the information representative of whether or not the operation guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the image displayed by the operating means stored in the storing means in response to a result of the determination made by the second determining means; and operation guidance displaying means for displaying the operation guidance based upon the information stored in the storing unit.
There may be provided adjusting means for adjusting the period of time from a time the image is displayed until the operation guidance is displayed.
The adjusting means may adjust the period of time from a time the image is displayed until the operating guidance is displayed, based upon the rate at which the operation conducted by the operating means is incorrect, which is calculated by the calculating means.
The updating means may update the information representative of whether or not the operation guidance is to be displayed into the information representative of the operating guidance that is to be displayed when the period of time, measured by the measuring means, from a time the image is displayed until the operation corresponding to the image is conducted by the operating means is longer than a predetermined reference time.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention, an information processing system is characterized in that the system comprises a display unit for displaying a presetting image on a screen for performing a predetermined presetting; operating means for conducting an operation for the operation corresponding to the presetting image; presetting means for conducting presetting in response to the operation which is conducted by the operating means; a storing unit for storing information which is representative of whether or not an operation guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the image conducted by the operating means is to be displayed for each of the presetting images; measuring means for measuring the period of time from a time the image is displayed until the operation corresponding to the presetting image is conducted by the operating means; updating means for updating the information representative of whether or not the operating guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the presetting image displayed by the operating means stored in the storing unit in response to a result of the measurement made by the measuring means; and operation guidance displaying means for displaying the operation guidance based upon the information stored in the storing means.
The updating means may update the information representative of whether or not the operation guidance is to be displayed into the information representative of the operating guidance that is to be displayed when the period of time, measured by the measuring means, from a time the presetting image is displayed until the operation corresponding to the presetting image is conducted by the operating means is longer than a predetermined reference time.
According to a third embodiment of the present invention, an information processing method is characterized in that the method comprises (a) displaying step for displaying a presetting image on a screen for performing a predetermined presetting; (b) operating step for conducting an operation for the operation corresponding to the presetting image displayed on the screen; (c) presetting step of conducting presetting in response to the operation which is conducted in the operating step; (d) storing step of storing information which is representative of whether or not an operation guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the image conducted in the operating step is to be displayed for each of the presetting images; (e) first determining step of determining whether or not the operation conducted in the operating step is correct; (f) calculating step of calculating the rate at which the operation conducted by the operating means is correct based upon a result of the determination made in the first determining step; (g) second determining step of determining whether or not the operating guidance is to be displayed based upon the rate which is calculated in the calculating step; (h) updating step of updating the information representative of whether or not the operation guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the presetting image displayed in the operating step stored in the storing step in response to a result of the determination made in the second determining step; and (i) operation guidance displaying step of displaying the operation guidance based upon the information stored in the storing step.
According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, an information processing method is characterized in that the method comprises (a) displaying step for displaying a presetting image on a screen for performing a predetermined presetting; (b) operating step for conducting an operation for the operation corresponding to the presetting image displayed on the screen; (c) presetting step of conducting presetting in response to the operation which is conducted in the operating step; (d) storing step of storing information which is representative of whether or not an operation guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the image conducted in the operating step is to be displayed for each of the presetting images; (e) measuring step of measuring the period of time from a time the image is displayed until the operation corresponding to the presetting image is conducted in the operating step; (f) updating step of updating the information representative of whether or not the operating guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the presetting image displayed in the operating step stored in the storing step in response to a result of the measurement made in the measuring step; and (g) operation guidance displaying step of displaying the operation guidance based upon the information stored in the storing step.
According to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a program product characterized by a program for executing the information processing method according to the third or fourth embodiment.
In the information processing system, information processing method and program product of the present invention, a presetting image for conducting a given presetting is displayed, an operation to conduct the presetting corresponding to the presetting image is performed. Presetting corresponding to the operation is conducted. Information representative of whether or not the operation guidance to guide the operation corresponding to the presetting image is stored for each presetting image. Determination whether or not the operation is incorrect is made. The rate at which the operation is incorrect is calculated based upon a result of determination. Determination whether or not the operation guidance is to be displayed on the screen is made based upon the calculated rate. Stored information representative of whether the operation guidance to guide the operation corresponding to the presetting image is updated based upon a result of the determination. Based upon the stored information, the operation guidance is displayed on the screen. Alternatively, the period of time since a presetting image is displayed until the operation corresponding to the presetting image is conducted is measured. The stored information representative of whether or not the operation guidance for guiding the operation corresponding to the presetting image is updated in response to a result of measurement. The operation guidance is displayed on a screen based upon stored information.